


Regain The Light Just Before It Dies Out

by TheVampireLucinda



Category: Professional Wrestling, 新日本プロレス | New Japan Pro-Wrestling
Genre: Beginning of a Beautiful Friendship, Developing Relationship, Drinking, Encouraging Tana, Flirting, Implied Relationships, Low Self-Esteem, M/M, Persistent Tana, Polyamorous Character, Self-Esteem Issues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-13
Updated: 2019-11-13
Packaged: 2021-01-29 21:14:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,108
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21416770
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheVampireLucinda/pseuds/TheVampireLucinda
Summary: “When I faced him in a singles match, I felt something in my soul... And I was reminded that the Light hadn't gone out just yet.” (Yoshi-Hashi)
Relationships: Tanahashi Hiroshi/Yoshi-Hashi
Comments: 7
Kudos: 11





	Regain The Light Just Before It Dies Out

He thought that if he kept his head down, he could get away.

He thought that if he avoided their eyes, he could make it to his room without incident.

But, somehow, despite all of his efforts, Yoshi-Hashi got caught. _Again_.

The first time, it was Shinsuke. Though the King of Strong Style could play a little rough, his fondness for Yoshi-Hashi couldn't be denied.

Okada was next, openly declaring them to be friends, and taking every opportunity to tag together, cheering him on, even though it was the Rainmaker himself who was the champion.

Tanahashi proved to be the most insistent and invasive of them all, though, crashing headlong into Yoshi-Hashi's life and refusing to leave a single stone unturned. It was incredible, and terrifying, and dangerously close to something like love.

But that was impossible, or so Yoshi Hashi reasoned. The Ace was in what seemed to be at least 5 active relationships, all with the hottest guys on the roster. Yoshi simply came to the conclusion that there was no way the man had eyes for someone like him.

Still, it was Tanahashi who caught him this time, lightly but firmly grabbing the top of Yoshi-Hashi's arm when he tried to sneak away after a 6-man tag victory.

“Hey,” the Ace began, looking straight into Hashi's eyes, getting too close, like he always did. “What's wrong?”

A short, nervous laugh made its way past the younger man's lips.

He didn't even know how to begin to answer such question...

It had all started last year, after facing Tanahashi in the G1. The Ace actually cried after their match, asking Yoshi if he was frustrated, if he knew how good he was, and if he cared if the world knew it or not.

Honestly, it was almost too much to process at the time; but from that moment on, Tanahashi pursued Yoshi relentlessly. He chased him so hard that even Okada, normally cool and collected, had started to get jealous and possessive.

_Don't worry_, Tanahashi had explained to them both one day after fighting off Jay White and the Bullet Club. I_'m not taking Yoshi away from you, Okada-kun. I want you both!_

Honestly, that struck more fear than anything into Hashi's heart, hearing Tanahashi proclaim his intentions so boldly.

'What do you want from me?' he wanted to ask, but he was never able to quite gather up enough courage to do it.

Now, however, Hiroshi Tanahashi was standing right in front of him, having just told the world that, for his 20th wrestling anniversary, he'd be challenging for the Never 6 Man titles with two partners...

...And Yoshi-Hashi was one of them.

“Nothing's wrong,” the younger man lied, seeing skepticism color the Ace's handsome features. “I'm just tired...”

“Why don't you come and celebrate with me?” Tana offered, going so far as to hold out his hand. “I was going to go grab some drinks with the guys, but I think I'd rather just spend some one-on-one time with you.”

Yoshi felt his face getting warm, and turned fully away. “I really should get home...”

“Hmmm.”

Hashi could sense Tana's nearness before he felt two strong arms encircle his waist. “Come on, don't be like that,” the Ace whispered into his ear, making him shiver and gasp. “We need to bond before our match, right? It's been a while since we've spent some time alone, hasn't it...?”

“T-Tanahashi-san! We're in public!”

“Well, that's your fault for not letting me touch you in private...”

Yoshi-Hashi struggled for a moment, managing to break free for only a moment before he found himself pressed hard against the corner he'd somehow backed himself into.

Vaguely, he recalled Shinsuke complaining about how Tanahashi always got what he wanted in the end.

Of course, that was also the same night that the CHAOS leader stumbled into their hotel room at 4am, sweaty, covered in love-bites, and hair all over the place. Yoshi didn't even ask at the time, but now he could recognize Tana's distinctive perfume all over Nakamura's skin back then.

'Now _I'm_ going to smell good like him,' Hashi found himself thinking; and the idea made him feel dizzy with desire. For some reason, he'd denied Tanahashi's amorous advances the first time around, and managed to fend him off for almost a year.

But this time...

“Alright, I'll go out for drinks with you,” he relented at last, closing the distance between them and sagging a little against Tanahashi's massive chest. “Just...be nice, okay?”

The Ace smiled benevolently; the same smile that drove Okada crazy with rage and lust at the same time. It was incredibly effective.

“Let's go then, Nobu.”

“N-Nobu?!”

((()))

As it turns out, drinking with Hiroshi Tanahashi was a much less sexy affair than Yoshi-Hashi had imagined it would be.

They somehow ended up at the Ace's house, and were sitting comfortably on the floor, a bottle of strong red wine between them, when suddenly the questions began.

“Nobu, you seem..._unhappy_ that we'll be tagging together...Did I do something wrong?” Tanahashi asked after their third glass. Yoshi-Hashi shook his head, quickly cutting off that line of questioning.

“No, no, it's not that... Honestly, you've been wonderful to me, Tanahashi-san—”

“You don't have to call me 'Tanahashi-san,' you know,” the Ace interrupted, chin resting in his hand, a fond smile on his lips. “I keep telling Ibushi that, but, well... You know how he is. But _you_ can call me 'Hiroshi,' or 'Hiro' if 'Tana' doesn't work for you.”

“That's way too familiar!”

“But we're _friends_, Nobu! And we're about to be Never 6 Man Champions! Why should there be any distance between us?”

Yoshi-Hashi started to reply, but thought better of it. With a sigh, he drained the contents of his glass, thankful for the buffer that the alcohol gave him between his emotions and his words. For some reason, he felt a bit safer this way.

“Nobu,” Tanahashi repeated, much more gently this time, as though dealing with a frightened rabbit. “If you don't want to tag with me, I'll accept your answer. Please just tell me why. Be honest.”

“It's...It's complicated.”

Tana frowned. “Maybe not as complicated as you think... At least let me try to understand... I want to help.”

For a second, something akin to anger flared in Yoshi-Hashi's heart. It was the same fire that sparked after their G1 match last year.

“You can't help,” he answered, wanting to stop himself before he destroyed a potential friendship. “You...you're part of the problem, although it's not your fault!”

“I'm part of the problem?”

“Yes! You are... You're the Ace! Hiroshi Tanahashi, one of the greatest wrestlers of all time! And I'm...”

Yoshi's voice caught on something in his throat, and his breath hitched for a painful moment.

“...I'm no one. No one at all.” His voice was nearly inaudible as he spoke, downing another glass of wine.

“I...I don't understand why you would pick me, of all people, to be your partner. I'm useless. I don't understand why you'd want to be close, or even be friends with me. I honestly don't fully understand why Kazu bothers, but I can accept his feelings because we're in CHAOS together, and returned together.

“But you... You have no reason to care about me. I'm not even a candle compared to your brightness. And I don't think you're doing this as a joke, like some other people would, so I really can't understand. Why would you...why would someone like you...?”

Tanahashi sat, quiet and pensive through Yoshi-Hashi's tirade. At the end of it all, he closed his eyes, and inhaled deeply.

Internally, Yoshi prepared for the worst. He blamed the drink for his boldness, although he knew it was mostly because he felt like he couldn't hold it in anymore.

'Of all the times to lose my composure!' he scolded himself internally. 'Of all the times to attack one of the few people who...'

“Nobu...Please don't cry.”

It took Yoshi a moment to register the words; and when he did, he found himself wiping away a few stray tears that had leaked from his eyes.

“Ah, shit,” he cursed quietly, turning red at the small smile that it brought to Tana's face.

“Listen, Nobu; I say this with all of my love, but you're _wrong_. You're not nothing...and I'm not everything. We're the same, you and I... And you're as valuable as anyone I've ever wanted to hold onto!

“I chose you because I wanted to. Because you're strong, and dependable, and awesome! But I also chose you because I want to help you to see if for yourself. I want _you_ to see how wonderful you are.

“I want you to see what I, and Kazu, and Shinsuke see all the time.”

Yoshi shook his head, hands shaking as they lay folded in his lap. “I'm not any of those things, Tanahashi-san. You're mistaken.”

“Why do you think that?”

“People tell me sometimes...but I'm not blind, either. I can see what I am.”

The Ace slammed his hands on the table, startling Yoshi out of his thoughts. “So, you're telling me that we're _all_ wrong about you? Do you think I'm an idiot?!”

“What? No, I—”

“Do you think I'm blind?!”

“No!”

“A liar?!”

“I don't—”

“Then why won't you believe me when I say that you're great?! You'll believe some random people over the ones who know and love you?!”

Tanahashi was all but leaning over the table, eyes burning as they bore holes into Hashi's skull. “Tell me why you won't believe me.”

“I...I...I don't know...” Yoshi-Hashi shook his head, trying to clear the fog that seemed to have settled in his brain. “I know myself better than anyone...”

“What if told you that you were wrong about yourself?”

Now it was Yoshi's turn to look baffled. “What?!”

“You've got a blind spot,” the Ace explained carefully. “You can't see your own good points. I understand because...because I've got some blind spots about myself too, and it took some people who really loved me to help me see my own worth.”

He sat back down carefully, crossing his legs underneath his body and leaning back on his arms.

“Yoshi-Hashi, if you ever doubted it, I'll say it clearly: You're as worthy of my affection as anyone.”

For a long moment, Yoshi didn't speak. His mind was racing as he thought over everything that the people around him had said. He remembered a lot of bad things more easily...but slowly, the good things started to resurface along side them.

He could see Shinsuke's smile, feel Kazu's hand as it took his and pulled him along; he could smell the warm sweet scent of Tanahashi's skin as he invaded his personal space during an interview for the 100th time, telling him how happy he was that they could tag together. He could see some of the fans, cheering him on, encouraging him as he fought; he could see that one girl, her beautiful eyes filling with tears as she talked about how he inspired her because, no matter what, he never gave up.

“Tanahashi...Tana... _Hiro_... I think you might be right...”

The Ace smiled finally, his own eyes wet with a thin film of tears. “Of course I'm right. How the hell do people not realize yet that I'm always right?”

“Also obnoxious,” Hashi added under his breath, laughing at the shocked-amused-offended look that Tanahashi leveled at him.

“Thank you, Tanahashi,” he said softly. “You're doing so much to encourage me, and I'm being pretty dense.”

Hiroshi laughed. “Actually, you're being pretty dense even now, and have been from the beginning. I initially brought your here to drink and make out, but here we are having group therapy... I guess that's okay, though.”

Yoshi laughed nervously. “You're persistent...Thank you, I do feel better.”

“I'm glad I could help. So...wanna make out?”

“Um...I don't think I'm ready for that yet.”

Tana shrugged, though his eyes twinkled with mischief. “That's fine. I'm happy with the way things are right now.” He sat up fully again, folding his arms on the table and smiling. “But, please remember to believe us next time, okay?”

“I'll do my best to listen to the people who love me,” he vowed. “And if I happen to forget...I want you to remind me.”

Tanahashi grinned wickedly. “I promise to keep you in line, Nobu, and _forcibly_ remind you whenever you forget.”

“Um...That sounds like a threat.”

“It is.”


End file.
